Church launches audio Bible for phones and tablets

Church officials yesterday announced the launch of an "audio Bible" for smartphones, laptops, mp3 players and other mobile gadgets to address a declining interest in the written word.

"We know that not everyone is interested in reading. Thatâ€™s why we are promoting this audio Bible," said Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David of San Fernando, head of the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate.

He said the move is part of the Church's "Faith Comes from Hearing Campaign."

A recent survey by the National Book Development Board revealed the number of Filipinos who read fell from 92 percent in 2007 to 88 percent in 2012.

The "audio Bible" is currently available in English, Tagalog and Cebuano but will soon be available in all Filipino languages.